Concept of legal and judicial administration in ancient India

When the process of formation of society and state was over it was felt that there should be an organized administration which could give justice. For the purpose of public peace and advancement this was a necessary factor because in case of disturbance, social and religious progress was not possible. A need was felt for a treatise on legal philosophy or jurisprudence: a science of social engineering. The ancient Indian system of social living was structured on the concept of peaceful existence based on Dharma (virtuous) principles. They had definite knowledge of law and judicial system. They cherished a hierarchy of courts such as Kula, Sreni, Gana, Adhikrita and Sasitha. Hence the present paper is an attempt to study how our ancestors comprehended the complex problems of society and prescribed rules for regulating society and social conduct.